Is it really possible to have a robust quality system in place AND have a lean operation? 
Yes it is! 


Welcome to the Lean Compliance Blog, where we will discover tools and tips to get our businesses to be lean mean compliant machines! 


What sort of topics can we expect from this blog? 

• FDA – what is hot on the audit radar?
• Risk Management – where do I begin!
• Simple Tools to ease your way into a Lean State of Mind
• ISO9001 – does my business really need certification?
• Help! What do I do in a Kaizen activity?
• Dear LCP… answers to your burning business questions!

Do you have any nugget of business advice gold for today? 
Glad you asked as I do have a tasty blog morsel to share today: 


Let’s discover the essence of Lean!


Industrial Engineers spend their academic and professional careers in the dark, shady underworld of Lean, where masked men…er, no, not really – got your attention though, right?


Lean is really about simplicity, transparency, continuous flow. Here’s an analogy to visualize the power of Lean:

You are tasked with delivering supplies from Village A to Village B down the Value Stream. Village B needs these supplies delivered in 4 hours, without any water or other type of damage.

Before Lean:

• Value Stream is murky and dark, you can’t see through to the bottom.
• You maneuver the canoe around large boulders that break up the water flow. Water inevitably splashes up on the supplies – Village B will not be happy!
• The canoe gets caught in white-water whirlpools hold you in place, not allowing you to move forward or backward. This is delaying your delivery.
• Branches from neighboring trees poke you and the supplies (more damage), and you are forced you to divert your course even more.
• It takes you over 8 hours and plenty of muscle power to get the wet & damaged supplies to an upset Village B.

After Lean:

• The canoe practically guides itself down the smooth-flowing Value Stream.
• You can see the bottom through the crystal clear water – the boulders have been cleared from your path!
• The trees have been pruned back, allowing you to follow a straight course, no deviations this time. The supplies are not damaged on this trip.
• You are using minimal muscle power to propel the canoe, and you cut your travel time to less than 4 hours. Village B is elated! You were able to meet all of their requirements! 

The Lean organization is focused on understanding and meeting customer requirements. 
The goal is to deliver the product right the first time, every time. 


But we can’t do this if our value streams have waste: inefficient process (boulders blocking your way), generate defects (branches/water damaging the supplies), have rework loops (whirlpools), require too much human effort, or have excessive cycle time (time to get from Village A to B). Waste is any activity that does not add value to the product in the eyes of the customer.


We use Lean tools and principles to eliminate waste from our process so products are made at a lower cost with fewer defects with much faster turnaround. With training and practice we learn to SEE the waste, identify the source(s), and take action to eliminate the waste. We do not seek to improve our processes once or twice – the Lean Journey is one of Continuous Improvement! 


When will you start your Lean Journey?